Did you know...? Memorial Day was actually started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC as a way to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. The slaves dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.